Millions of people play sports across the United States. But they are not without risk, and they often put athletes in harm’s way. You will need dedicated California sports head injury lawyers on your side when a serious injury occurs.
Head injuries have become frighteningly frequent in many sports and can have long-term effects on the victims. Although most athletes accept a certain level of risk, you should look into your legal options if negligence led to or made an injury worse.
At Bisnar Chase, our team has been handling traumatic brain injury cases for decades. We maximize the value of catastrophic injury claims across California, with a 99% success rate and more than $850 million recovered for our clients.
- 2024 top-rated attorneys
- Seasoned trial lawyers
- Familiar with all California courts
- Almost $1B recovered
If you or a loved one has suffered a sports-related head injury, turn to our legal team for top-tier representation. Contact us today for a free consultation; no win, no fee. Call 800-561-4887 today.
California Sports Head Injury Lawyers
Dangerous Sports Linked with Head Injuries
Some of the most popular sports, both in the United States and across the world, have the potential to leave athletes with serious head injuries. In fact, sports provide a leading cause of severe injuries due to head trauma.
The sports most commonly linked with head injuries include:
Football: Whether played at professional, college, or youth level, football is a high-impact sport. Even with advances in helmet technology and new rules to prevent head contact, the risk of a serious head injury is always present.
Hockey: The speed of hockey means that body contact carries more force, and the athletes have less time to react, making dangerous contact more likely.
Boxing, MMA, and other combat sports: In combat sports, the goal is to deliver high-impact blows to your opponent. These blows often lead to head trauma that can cause lasting damage.
Rugby: With continuous play, rugby features speed, force, and sustained physicality.
Motorsports: Motor racing at all levels involves drivers pushing their vehicles to the edge. Any collision with other drivers or with the barriers can result in whiplash, physical trauma, or head, neck, and brain injuries.
Soccer: Aerial duels can result in head-on-head collisions, while new studies suggest that heading the ball can cause long-term damage.
Other Dangerous Sports
Most sports come with some risk. For instance, a baseball player could collide with another player while fielding or sprinting between bases.
We may also be able to handle cases involving injuries from martial arts, wrestling, lacrosse, horseback riding, water polo, diving, extreme sports like BMX and skateboarding, cheerleading injuries, and others.
If you or a loved one have sustained a head or brain injury while playing sports in California, contact a personal injury lawyer at Bisnar Chase today.
Do You Have a Legal Case For Your Head Injury?
Countless people – both professional athletes and recreational players – suffer significant head trauma and severe injuries over the course of a sports season. But do you have the legal right to file a lawsuit over a sports injury in California?
In some cases, proving liability in sports injury claims can be complex. This is because injuries are expected during contact sports, to a degree.
However, you could have a case if a head injury results from negligence or deliberate misconduct. For example, claims could target:
- Sports leagues, authorities, and organizations that fail to take proper care to protect their players from known risks.
- Teams, coaches, trainers, and medical personnel that fail to provide proper training, mishandle injuries, or prematurely force players back into action.
- Manufacturers who bring insufficient safety gear to market that is not fit for purpose.
At Bisnar Chase, we represent plaintiffs, which means we work for people who have suffered injuries. To win a negligence case, we need to show that the defendant owed the victim a duty of care and breached that duty, resulting in injury and damages to the victim. Additionally, we must demonstrate that the injury resulted from carelessness or malicious behavior.
Our team of personal injury attorneys at Bisnar Chase is skilled and experienced. We have won cases against some of the biggest companies and corporations across the U.S. With our law firm, you know that your case is in safe hands.
Contact our top-rated California sports head injury lawyers for a free consultation if you’ve been in an accident that was someone else’s fault. Call 800-561-4887 today.
Traumatic Brain Injuries in Sports
Some blows to the head will leave the victim with cuts or bruising. But in most cases, the greater concern is the blow’s impact on the brain. Many jolts to the head can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Blunt force trauma to the head causes most TBIs in sports. A brain injury may also be caused by a forceful collision with the body that causes the head to snap forward or back, moving the brain within the skull.
All kinds of actions can cause traumatic brain injuries within a sports setting, such as:
A strike to the head in a UFC or boxing match.
Body checks in hockey that either connect directly with the head or hit the body in a way that causes a whiplash effect on the victim’s head.
Helmet-to-helmet collisions in football.
There are different levels of TBIs. Some may only cause short-term effects. But a severe TBI could result in swelling, brain hemorrhages, or permanent brain damage in extreme cases.
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms and Effects
TBIs can leave victims dealing with a wide range of mental, physical, and cognitive symptoms. Some of these include:
Headaches.
Nausea.
Blurred vision, slurred speech, and seizures.
Behavioral changes, such as sudden mood swings.
Trouble concentrating, impaired decision-making, confusion, and irritability.
Problems sleeping, extreme fatigue.
Sensitivity to light and other impacted senses.
Depression and anxiety.
The range of symptoms that a traumatic brain injury can cause can be debilitating. In the worst cases, they can completely ruin a person’s quality of life. If you’ve suffered this severe injury, contact a seasoned California sports head injury lawyer today. Call 800-561-4887 to learn about your right to financial compenstion.
Steps to Take After Suffering a Head Injury
There are several key steps that you should take after sustaining head injuries in sports, both to look after your health and to protect your legal rights.
Get immediate medical attention from a healthcare professional. Follow medical advice, and do not return to play if you are experiencing any symptoms.
Gather any relevant information or evidence you can think of. Suggestions include medical records, eyewitness accounts of the incident that caused your injury, the type of safety equipment you use, and recollections of any paperwork, advice, training, or treatment from your team, coaches, or league.
Contact a sports head injury attorney at Bisnar Chase. These cases are challenging, and not all claims are eligible for legal action. But if some form of negligence is responsible for your head or brain injury, our team might be able to help.
Contact us for a free consultation and discuss your case with one of our intake experts. We have decades of experience in winning personal injury lawsuits and will give you honest advice and guidance.
What is Negligence with Sports Head Injuries?
In terms of a personal injury lawsuit, negligence is when the actions or inactions of one party cause harm to another party.
A defendant is negligent if they are careless, reckless, or malicious, and their actions result in injuries to other people. It would also be negligence if one party fails to provide proper training or fails to fix a problem that they are aware of (or should be aware of) and know could cause danger to others.
Liability in Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can present a bit of a gray area when it comes to lawsuits. That’s because it could be argued that there is a reasonable expectation that accidents and injuries can occur during physical contact sports.
However, there are instances where negligence might be involved in causing a sporting head injury. These instances could include:
Manufacturers providing defective helmets and other safety equipment.
Trainers/coaches failing to ensure a proper fit for safety equipment.
The failure to provide athletes with proper warnings or information on the risks.
A failure to provide adequate training to athletes, allowing them to compete safely.
Issues with the treatment provided by medical staff after an accident.
An improper return to play encouraged or requested by the team without proper medical protocols.
Failures by a league or third-party personnel to identify issues, such as spotting lost consciousness or other concussion symptoms.
Refusal by leagues to implement new rules or technologies that could protect players.
Systemic issues regarding the sharing of information relevant to the safety of a sport.
These are just some examples of how negligence can lead to dangerous head injuries in sports. Many of these issues can arise during recreational activities, at the youth level (including PeeWee, Pop Warner, high school, and college), and in the professional game.
Who Is Liable for a Sports Head Injury?
The liable parties will depend on the nature of the incident and how the aftermath is handled. Potentially liable parties can include:
Governing bodies and sports organizations.
League officials.
Teams, coaches, trainers, and other staff.
Medical personnel.
Independent bodies.
Sporting equipment manufacturers.
In some cases, multiple parties may share some element of negligence. In a sports head injury action, multiple parties can be named as defendants in the same case.
If you believe you may have a case, contact our California sports head injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase for expert guidance. Our legal team will thoroughly investigate and hold all relevant parties accountable. There is no fee if we don’t win your case. Call 800-561-4887.
Compensation for Head Injuries Suffered in Sports
The goal of legal action regarding a sports head injury is to make the victim whole. We will first consider the possibility of reaching a settlement with the negligent parties. If we cannot agree upon a fair settlement with the defendant, we will file a lawsuit against them.
In civil lawsuits such as this, the only punishment for the defendant is financial. That means that if we win, the defendant will be forced to pay compensation to the plaintiff.
The amount of compensation awarded will depend on the circumstances of the accident, the severity of the injuries, and the level of negligence displayed by the defendants.
Whether compensation is decided by a jury or through a settlement, it might include:
Medical expenses.
Lost wages.
Compromised quality of life by long-term symptoms.
The loss of ability to play a chosen sport or work in a chosen profession.
Future projected medical costs.
You can trust Bisnar Chase to maximize the value of your personal injury claim. We have a long track record of winning cases against major companies and corporations while securing millions of dollars for our clients.
No Win, No Fee Guarantee Lawyers
At Bisnar Chase, we do everything in our power to protect our clients during the legal process. We provide exceptional legal representation. But we also take pride in making it affordable.
We aim to ensure that everyone with a legitimate case can win the compensation they deserve, regardless of means. That’s why we offer a no win, no fee promise to our clients. Our personal injury law firm takes cases on contingency basis. That means we handle all up-front costs, from filing fees to hiring experts.
When you work with our firm, we protect you from out-of-pocket legal costs. When we win your case, we recoup our expenses by taking a pre-agreed percentage of the final settlement or verdict. California law limits this percentage, so you don’t need to worry about mounting costs wiping out your damages.
If we do not win, you will not owe us anything, giving you peace of mind throughout the entire process. Call the California sports head injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase today for more information. Call 800-561-4887 for a free confidential consultation.
Concussions in Sports
Concussions are a hot topic in many sports at the moment. You can look at examples from some of the top leagues in the world to see how a concussion can severely impact an athlete.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). It occurs when a person’s head moves back and forth rapidly. The force of this movement can cause the brain to twist or bounce inside the victim’s skull. This movement can cause significant damage.
When the brain moves inside the skull, it can create chemical changes and imbalances. With particularly harsh impacts, the movement may even stretch or damage the victim’s brain cells.
You do not need to lose consciousness to have suffered a concussion. Anyone can sustain this type of injury, from younger children to older professionals.
Concussions are considered minor or mild TBIs. That is because they are typically not life-threatening. However, they can be life-altering. The chemical imbalance or cell damage can cause severe symptoms.
The Problem with Concussions
One of the worst aspects of concussions is that they do not have a clearly defined point of healing. When you break a bone, a doctor can tell you roughly how long it will take to heal and can check its progress with a scan. But concussion symptoms can last indefinitely.
When you suffer a concussion, medical advice is to get lots of rest, avoid any further impacts to the head, and ease back into normal activities as your symptoms subside. In most cases, this happens within a couple of weeks. But there are instances of concussion symptoms dragging on for weeks, months, and years. There is no set timeline when it comes to post-concussion syndrome.
Another issue is that after suffering a concussion, you are more prone to a repeat injury. With each concussion, the symptoms can worsen.
Case Study: Adam Estoclet
American pro hockey player Adam Estoclet wrote an account for The Players’ Tribune chronicling his battle with post-concussion syndrome.
It started when he took a routine hit during practice in Sweden. The next day, his symptoms included a ringing in his ears, but he was able to keep playing. A week later, hypersensitivity to light and sound kicked in.
He was given time off and followed advice from his healthcare provider, resting in a dark room while wearing earplugs for a month.
Estoclet returned to the ice as his symptoms started to ease. He played eight more games, but the symptoms returned with a vengeance. The ringing came back along with intense headaches, extreme anxiety, exhaustion, and confusion.
He quit his Swedish club and returned home to rest, but the concussion effects persisted. Estoclet said everything hurt, and his depression and mood swings only worsened. He described it as slipping into a dark hole.
Estoclet wrote the article more than six months after suffering the concussion and was still feeling symptoms. However, he eventually found a specialist who helped him progress through the darkest period.
High-Profile Retirements Caused by Concussions
Countless high-profile athletes are known to have retired early due to lingering concussion symptoms. One concussion can be bad enough. Dealing with multiple instances, especially in quick succession, can spell the end of a career.
The dominant Eric Lindros was a force on the ice in the NHL but was forced into retirement after at least eight concussions. He leads a long list of similar stories.
Eric’s younger brother, Brett Lindros, was also highly touted and was a top-10 draft pick by the New York Islanders in 1996. But he retired after just 51 NHL games, following five concussions in his junior hockey career and another two early in his pro career. All the evidence shows that repeated head impacts put athletes at greater risk.
Concussions are not only an issue in the NHL. Plenty of NFL players have also retired due to reported concussions, Luke Kuechly among them. The Carolina Panthers linebacker was one of the NFL’s top defensive stars. But after three concussions in three consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2019, he had to retire at the age of 28.
Why Do Players Return Too Early After Head Injuries?
Many athletes try to return to action before they are ready. In some cases, a team might even pressure an athlete to do so. Premature returns are especially common with concussions because it can be hard to identify the right moment.
Unfortunately, an early return is likely to cause further injury, with symptoms often returning worse than before. But why do so many athletes try to get back to work too quickly?
They might assume they have recovered enough. Some athletes think they are on the right path if their symptoms start to subside. But with concussions in sports, more time is usually required.
The culture around contact sports. Many contact sports value toughness and work ethic in athletes. Most players do not want to be perceived as weak, so they try to tough it out, even if they are not ready.
They want to help their team. Most athletes are fiercely competitive, and many will jeopardize their health to help the team, especially in crunch games.
Individual achievements. Some players will return to action early if they are fighting for a scoring title or trying to hit a milestone that will trigger financial bonuses in their contract.
Pressure from their team. When coaches care more about winning than the health of their athletes, they might put pressure on them to return too quickly.
A lack of information or understanding. Some players may not understand how harmful the effects could be if they try to play through the lingering symptoms of a head injury.
Insufficient testing. No test available will allow a doctor to look at a scan and tell an athlete where they are in terms of their recovery. This makes it very difficult to determine the correct recovery timeline.
Case Study: Sidney Crosby and the Impact of Returning Too Soon
Sidney Crosby is one of the greatest ever to play hockey. But his remarkable career was almost cut short by a series of concussions that derailed some of his prime years.
Crosby suffered a concussion after being caught with a hit in 2011. He returned to the lineup just four games later, but it was widely believed that he was still experiencing symptoms. Crosby took another hit from behind in that game that ruled him out for nearly a year.
His eventual return was also cut short after he absorbed another hit and started experiencing symptoms again. Thankfully, he finally managed a full recovery.
What is CTE?
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is another form of brain injury that has become a serious issue in sports. CTE is a progressive disease of the brain. It is most often found in athletes who have suffered blows to the head, leading to multiple concussions and other brain injuries.
Unfortunately, the presence of CTE can only be conclusively diagnosed after a person’s death. It cannot be revealed through MRI, PET, or CT scans. For now, only a postmortem analysis of the brain will reveal the damage.
CTE has become a hot topic across major sports leagues in recent years, with the NFL and NHL both settling massive CTE lawsuits with former players for millions of dollars.
Symptoms of CTE
The symptoms of CTE are similar to those of many other brain injuries at first. Victims may experience life-altering impacts, including:
Confusion and disorientation.
Memory loss.
Behavioral changes.
Impaired judgment and impulse control.
Sudden and uncharacteristic anger and aggression.
Anxiety and depression.
However, while many other TBIs will gradually improve over time, CTE is a degenerative condition, and the symptoms often get worse as the disease develops. It has been strongly linked to progressive dementia and suicidal thoughts and actions.
While CTE does not directly kill a person, it can change their behavior and put them in danger of harming themselves.
Breakthroughs in CTE Diagnosis
The key to protecting athletes who have suffered blows to the head might lie in the ability of doctors to diagnose CTE.
While existing scans offer no help in this area, experts are looking at new ways to identify CTE while the victim is still alive. Researchers at Boston University are working on a new CTE detection system that builds a link between protein buildup and specific behaviors.
They hope to provide doctors with clear criteria for checking. If that is successful, they may be able to develop and test therapies and other treatments that can help people deal with the effects of CTE.
If you or a loved one has suffered a CTE, contact a California sports head injury lawyer to determine a path to financial compensation.
In Pop Culture…
The 2015 movie Concussion, starring Will Smith, dramatized the discovery of CTE in the early 2000s. Smith played Bennet Omalu, the first doctor to discover and publish findings on CTE.
The NFL fought to discredit Omalu’s work at first, but he was eventually vindicated. His research was instrumental in highlighting brain injuries in sports.
Athlete Deaths Linked to CTE
The number of former NFL players, NHLers, and boxers who have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths is too many to list. There are hundreds of confirmed cases and many other suspected cases.
Still, this only represents a small fraction of the actual number. The first related autopsy took place in 2002. Since then, only a small percentage of former players have had the specialized autopsy.
NFL CTE-Related Deaths
In the NFL, a staggering 345 out of 376 players who were autopsied for CTE had evidence of the condition. Some of the people eventually diagnosed with CTE lived into their later years. But some of the more recent players who died young and were subsequently diagnosed with CTE include:
Phillip Adams: A cornerback who played for six teams from 2010-2015, including the 49ers and Raiders. He killed six people and then committed suicide in 2021.
Jovan Belcher: The Chiefs linebacker killed his girlfriend before committing suicide at the KC training facility in 2012.
Greg Clark: The 49ers tight end died by self-inflicted gunshot aged 49, and an autopsy revealed stage III CTE.
Shane Dronett: The defensive lineman, most notably of the Broncos and Falcons, exhibited wild behavioral changes after his playing career and committed suicide in 2009.
Junior Seau: The long-time Charger and defensive legend who played 19 years in the NFL shot himself at 43.
Other notable players in recent years include Vincent Jackson, Aaron Hernandez, Chris Henry, and Adrian Robinson.
The brains of each of these players were donated to science by their families. They were all included in a large-scale study by the Boston University CTE Center that included hundreds of deceased NFL players.
They represent just a small percentage of the players found to have CTE after their deaths.
NHL CTE-Related Deaths
In the NHL, the suicides of Chris Simon, 52, and Konstantin Koltsov, 42, in 2024 renewed the claims linking hockey with CTE.
There have been several high-profile hockey players who have died young. Many of their deaths were the results of suicides, and all of those listed below were found to have CTE in posthumous examinations.
Steve Montador: A 14-year veteran with 69 fights in the NHL. He was found dead at home of an apparent suicide after a long battle with depression linked to CTE.
Derek Boogaard: He had more than 180 career fights and died of an accidental overdose at age 28.
Wade Belak: Open about his struggles with depression, Belak was found dead aged 35.
Todd Ewan: After a long career as an NHL enforcer, Ewen committed suicide at the age of 49 and was found to have stage II CTE.
Marek Svatos: A flying winger who scored 100 NHL goals, Svatos died of an overdose at age 34 while suffering from stage II CTE.
Some other players diagnosed posthumously include Rick Rypien, Bob Probert, and Henri Richard, among many others.
A lot of the players found to have CTE were enforcers or notably hard-nosed players who were involved in dozens of fights over their careers. This is because fighting increases the risk of receiving blows to the head.
Alarming CTE Statistics
The discovery of CTE as a potentially deadly side effect of head injuries in sports is relatively new. As such, our knowledge of the condition is still evolving.
Several large-scale studies have been done, with specialist centers set up to discover more about the disease. So far, the results of the investigations have been alarming. One study, carried out by the Boston University CTE Center, focused on young athletes who had played contact sports and died before the age of 30.
Researchers examined 152 brains that were donated to the center to facilitate its important research. They found that over 40% of the young athletes who had been involved in contact or collision sports had evidence of CTE in their brains.
In contrast, less than 1% of people who did not play contact sports showed signs of CTE. However, the research also showed that not all athletes exhibiting symptoms such as depression had CTE.
When it comes to concussions, the following graph shows the risks associated with some of the major sports in the U.S.
Researchers collected the statistics from men’s competitions in NCAA sports. The numbers are the concussion rates per 1,000 athlete exposures, combining practice and competition. Since researchers collected the data from college athletes, it does not include high-incidence sports like boxing and MMA.
(Wrestling – 0.89, Football – 0.75, Ice hockey – 0.74, Basketball – 0.38, Lacrosse – 0.30, Soccer – 0.26)
Study Takeaways
This is just one of many studies into youth sports concussions. Comprehensive studies into professional sports concussion numbers are much more limited. Some other interesting notes include:
Concussions account for about 15% of all college sports injuries.
The chances of sustaining a concussion are much higher in competition as opposed to practice.
Women’s sports have a slightly higher rate of concussions compared to men. Unusually, while women’s ice hockey does not allow body checking, it carries a slightly higher concussion rate than men’s hockey.
NFL and NHL Head Injury Settlements
There have been several major lawsuits filed against some of the top leagues in the world over brain injuries in athletes, including the NFL and the NHL.
The NFL faced the largest-scale legal action, with more than 4,500 former football players and families of deceased former players joining forces for one class action lawsuit.
Plaintiffs alleged that the NFL bosses were negligent because they knew about the long-term health risks associated with concussions well before the information became public knowledge. They claim the league hid the risks to protect the sport at the expense of the athletes’ health.
Claimants also alleged that football helmet company Riddell had designed defective or ineffective helmets and failed to warn players.
The plaintiffs claimed that the negligence of the defendants had resulted in countless players sustaining long-term brain damage. In 2015, the league settled the lawsuit for $1 billion.
Less Success for NHL Players
Former NHL players filed a similar lawsuit in 2013. More than 140 former players joined a concussion-based lawsuit against the league. They alleged that the league had been negligent in dealing with head injuries and claimed that officials had hidden the long-term impacts.
After five years of litigation, the two sides reached a settlement. The NHL paid $18.9 million, divided between the players. League bosses also agreed to provide neurological testing and medical expenses of up to $75,000 for qualifying players and paid $7 million towards the plaintiff legal fees.
However, as part of the settlement, the NHL admitted no fault or liability. Combined with the relatively low settlement amount, this was seen as a significant win for the league, which paid more than $70 million in legal fees to reach this point.
The NHL has also faced several individual lawsuits from the families of deceased former players.
Other Lawsuits
Hockey and football are not the only leagues facing legal challenges. In 2023, nearly 400 athletes started legal proceedings in the UK. This included 260 rugby union players, 100 rugby league players, and 15 soccer players.
The lawsuit alleged that various sporting authorities were negligent by failing to protect players from permanent injuries caused by concussions and blows to the head.
As knowledge of these sports head injuries develops, we will likely see further action taken against potentially negligent sporting authorities. If you think you may be entitled to a head injury settlement, contact the California sports head injury attorneys at Bisnar Chase today. Call 800-561-4887.
Faulty Equipment Contributing to Sports Head Injuries
Many sports have specialist safety equipment designed to protect athletes. This equipment can include everything from soccer shin guards to shoulder pads and chest protectors in hockey.
But when we’re specifically looking at head injuries in sports, protective headgear is the most essential safety equipment.
Helmets are worn in various sports carrying a high danger of head injuries. These include football, hockey, motorsports, lacrosse, horseback riding, and extreme sports like BMX and skateboarding. Motorsports also use racing collars, which are neck protectors that help reduce the movement of a driver’s head at high speeds.
At both professional and amateur levels, helmets are designed specifically for a sport. For example, a football helmet is built differently from a hockey helmet. There are also variances within the same sport. In hockey, goalie masks are different from player helmets.
How Helmets Are Built
Most helmets feature similar construction, though the materials and design can vary by sport. They have an ultra-hard outer shell to protect against a direct blow, with internal padding designed to cushion the head against trauma.
The outer shell of high-level motorsport helmets is made from carbon fiber. In contrast, football and hockey helmets have an outer shell made from molded polycarbonate, a superstrong thermoplastic.
Helmets typically have several layers of foam in varying densities under their outer shell. These layers are designed to help absorb the blow of a hit to the head.
Do Helmets Work?
Helmets definitely help with some head injuries in sports. They protect against hard impacts and can prevent a skull fracture. But they can be limited when it comes to stopping concussions.
Unfortunately, even the best helmets cannot stop the brain from moving within the skull when a person’s head is shaken by a high-force impact, and it is this movement within the skull that causes concussions.
Can You Sue Over a Defective Helmet?
Helmet manufacturers have faced several lawsuits over the years. In these lawsuits, the plaintiffs (the injured athletes) have claimed that helmet manufacturers were negligent by constructing helmets that failed to protect players from harm. They also believe manufacturers failed to warn athletes that the helmets did not provide comprehensive protection.
Case Study: Adams v. BRG Sports, Inc.
A group of people who played high school football sued Riddell over design defects and failure to warn.
Each of the plaintiffs had sustained head injuries from impacts while playing football. They claimed that the warning labels on Riddell helmets were inadequate. The plaintiffs also believe that an alternative design with superior padding would have reduced their risk of injury and could have prevented the long-term brain injuries that they sustained.
In this case, the defense won a summary judgment, meaning the court sided with the defense without needing a full trial. Riddell won because the plaintiffs’ team did not provide enough evidence of its claims.
These lawsuits are tricky. Product liability attorneys working for the plaintiff must demonstrate causation, and the statute of limitations may impact some claims. In most cases (depending on the state), the plaintiffs must prove:
The victim sustained an injury.
The product was defective.
A safer alternative design exists, and the manufacturer could have implemented it.
The defective product was at least part of the cause of the injury in question.
In terms of warning failures, the plaintiff must prove:
The defendant knew or should have known about the potential risks presented by the product.
The manufacturers marketed the product without adequate warnings of the danger or instructions for safe use.
While these cases are difficult, that does not mean that we should not pursue them. Bisnar Chase has decades of experience successfully handling product liability cases involving dangerous and defective products that have caused injuries.
Contact our team for a free consultation with a top-rated California product liability lawyer to determine whether you might have a case.
Neck and Spine Injuries in Sports
In addition to brain injuries, some sports-related accidents involving blows to the head can cause significant damage to an athlete’s neck or spine.
A neck or spinal cord injury could result in potential long-term consequences, such as:
Significant localized pain.
Short-term paralysis. This could affect the lower body, upper body, extremities, or whole body.
Permanent disability.
Impaired breathing.
Loss of ability to speak.
A serious sports injury involving trauma to the head or neck can be devastating. No matter what type of head injury you or your loved one has sustained, you need a legal expert on your side to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Contact Bisnar Chase for a free consultation.
What is Being Done to Reduce Sports Head Injuries?
With knowledge about concussions and CTE increasing all the time, the various governing bodies across multiple sports have started to take notice.
After paying millions of dollars in settlements, some major leagues and organizations have introduced new rules to make their sports safer. Many of them are specifically designed to prevent direct head contact.
NFL and NCAA Head Contact Rules
The NFL and college football have implemented several rules in recent years. These include:
Targeting: A targeting penalty is assessed when someone hits a defenseless player. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct hit to the head but can include any forceful contact at or above the shoulders.
Helmet-to-helmet hits: Players who lower their head and initiate contact with another player’s head, using his helmet as a weapon to make a hit, are penalized.
Kickoff modifications: Leagues changed the starting position of kicks due to the number of high-impact injuries occurring during kickoffs. The rule has been further updated for the 2024 season.
New Rules in the NHL
The NHL has long been known for allowing fighting on the ice (albeit with a 5-minute penalty for willing combatants). Fighting still happens, but recent rule changes reduce the risks for fighters and prevent direct blows to the head.
Keep helmets on: Players used to remove their helmets before a fight. New rules mean they have to leave them on. Linesmen are also quicker to step in and stop a fight.
Mandatory visors: Hockey helmets now have to have visors. The rule has been grandfathered in, so a small number of players still take the ice without a visor. The visor provides further protection during a fight.
No head hits: Body checks involving contact with the head have been outlawed, even if that contact is made during the follow-through of a check. The player making the hit is responsible for controlling their check.
Suspensions: The league is handing out longer bans, especially when an illegal hit involves the head as the principal point of contact.
Both leagues have also introduced concussion protocols. Players want to play, and teams want their best players in the game. Sometimes, rules are needed to save them from themselves.
The NFL has neutral third-party spotters who can request that players be pulled from a game for examination if they have any concerns. Medical personnel take the players to a dark pop-up tent on the sidelines for testing. The NHL also has evaluation and treatment protocols when concussions are suspected.
In addition, all sports leagues have moved to improve player education on the risks involved with concussions.
Top-Rated California Sports Head Injury Lawyers
Head injuries can be severe and life-altering, leaving victims with lasting symptoms. When you suffer a head injury while taking part in a sport, either as an amateur or a pro, you might be able to seek compensation if your injuries were caused or worsened by negligence.
The only way to secure full compensation is to work with a skilled California injury attorney.
Bisnar Chase is a top-rated personal injury law firm with a national reputation. We specialize in cases involving catastrophic injuries, individual and institutional negligence, and product liability lawsuits.
Our track record speaks for itself.
A 99% success rate.
More than $850 million won for our clients.
Serving California since 1978.
Bisnar Chase is a formidable law firm that has secured top results against major companies and corporations over its decades in business. We take pride in providing superior representation.
Our headquarters are in Newport Beach, Orange County, but we also have offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego, and we handle cases all across California. If you cannot get to us, we will come to you.
Contact a California sports head injury attorney at Bisnar Chase for a free consultation with no obligations. Call (800) 561-4887, send us an email, or use our website live chat to get in touch today. We look forward to hearing from you.
